Local artist gears up for studio stints and summer gigs

Red Deer singer/songwriter/guitarist Jamie Woodfin continues to see his career and musical creativity steadily build in momentum.

Word is spreading about the talented local artist, and he looks forward to a busy summer and a recording stint in a Calgary studio later this month.

“We’ve been writing and writing, and looking at songs,” he explains, adding that collaborating with other songwriters has been a creatively-rich season as well. He’s also looking forward to teaming up with musicians that have played with country singer Gord Bamford, plus several experienced players who are sure to lend plenty to the CD’s production.

“We’re going to be putting out a few singles that we are really going to push. It’s kind of a guessing game at this point – you’ve just got to try for it and see where it gets you.”

He’s also excited about a major gig leading into the Ponoka Stampede in late June as well. Woodfin and his band will be performing in the cabaret following the Jace Harty Memorial PBR Bull Riding event on the evening of June 24. It’s the key kick-off event for the Ponoka Stampede, and tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

He’ll be featuring lots of his own original material plus plenty of covers from the legends of classic country to popular modern country singers such as Eric Church and Jason Aldean. He particularly admires Church, who he describes as one of the more modern day ‘outlaw’ type of country singers. “I think he will rise to become someone like a Merle Haggard or a Waylon Jennings.”

Woodfin, who is originally from Ponoka, has long been drawn to making and performing music. He first picked up guitar when he was about 13. A penchant for the drums and a powerful singing voice soon surfaced as well.

Through high school, he played in a band called The Dirties that were refining their own unique punk/rock sound. It took a little bit of getting used to when it came to performing, but Woodfin soon found himself comfortable onstage.

“I remember the (initial) fear in playing, but when all was said and done the rush we felt after the fact.” During his years with The Dirties, the band produced an EP featuring songs that were written by the group. “I was probably 14 or 15 years of age when I started writing.”

As their high school years wound down, band members started going their separate ways. Woodfin kept playing but it took awhile before he found other musicians he felt comfortable teaming up with after being with such a tight group for so long. A career in music wasn’t what he opted for at the time, but as he began increasingly busy in construction, his passion for songwriting and performing never waned.

And as he grew older, Woodfin also began to find country music extremely compelling. It was also back in 2009 that a trip to Nashville proved something of a turning point. Visiting sites like the Grand Ole Opry and just soaking up the magic and history that are intrinsic to ‘Music City’ helped to further cement his devotion to his songwriting/performing goals in the country genre.

He’s enjoyed watching his musical goals come to fruition, and is thrilled with the opportunities that continually surface. Connecting with audiences provide all the inspiration he needs to stay focused on honing his skills as well.

“When you play a show and you can see the effect on audience members – or when someone comes up to you after and tells you how much they enjoyed it,” he adds, reflecting on what he loves about his craft. “If I could be onstage almost every night, that’s where I would want to be.”

Meanwhile, Woodfin is clearly devoted to his craft and grateful for the opportunity to share it anytime with audiences.

Ultimately, it’s all about being real and Woodfin has no trouble being open and authentic about his own life and experiences.

“It seems like every show that we do leads us to another event,” he says, clearing relishing every moment of the journey. “So it’s kind of a stepping stone game.”